RuTracker Telegram Channel Blocked Over Copyright Violation Allegations

• Telegram took another significant step in handling platform abuse, suspending yet another channel over copyright infringement claims.
• Even though it’s been rather inactive during the past two years, RuTracker's official channel on the platform was recently blocked.
• Disabling the biggest Russian BitTorrent tracker’s channel raised questions about Telegram’s increasing compliance with authorities’ requests.

Telegram has reportedly blocked RuTracker's official channel following accusations of copyright violations. The channel now displays a message informing users that it is “unavailable due to copyright infringement.”

Russian media outlet CNews recently reported that Telegram disabled RuTracker’s channel, which has 27,900 subscribers. 

RuTracker, heralded as one of the most resilient torrent trackers over the last two decades, has accumulated a reputation for dismissing copyright complaints. This defiance earned RuTracker a permanent position on Russia’s state-operated blocklist, managed by telecoms regulator Roscomnadzor.

The RuTracker channel had been relatively inactive, with the most recent posts revealing issues surrounding RuTracker's main site earlier in January 2023, with maintenance updates soon after. 

Prior to that, occasional announcements such as birthday milestones marked the channel’s limited activity. Posts from 2022 and 2023 drew significantly fewer views compared to engagement levels from earlier years, suggesting declining usage.

Reports suggesting copyright infringement as the basis appear doubtful, considering the lack of new material posted on the channel in nearly two years. These circumstances complicate understanding whether Telegram’s compliance measures reflect newfound diligence or symbolic gestures toward anti-piracy initiatives.

Pavel Durov’s surprise arrest by French authorities in August 2024 served as a turning point for the messaging platform. Durov was held responsible for allegedly neglecting complaints about unlawful activities on Telegram. 

French officials argued that his inaction made him complicit, applying accountability that many believe sets a new precedent for platform operators.

Telegram has demonstrated a sharper focus on compliance, specifically regarding content flagged for copyright infringement, as channels tied to Z-Library and Anna’s Archive, both long-standing sources of controversy, were removed earlier in January.